BMW Inc, USA has agreed to pay USD 1.6 million to various African-American job applicants to resolve charges against BMW's employment lawsuit citing racial discrimination, reported USA Today. Federal lawsuits and charges had been pressed against BMW based on its previous guidelines governing the use of criminal background check at its plant in Greer, South Carolina.

The U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission had received six applications regarding racial discrimination by BMW in its hiring policies. EEOC had identified total 69 African-American of which 63 were class members and had filed a suit in 2003 thereafter.

BMW stated that it will will pay $1.6 million and offer employment opportunities through a contracted logistics labor provider to 56 in the BMW employment lawsuit and up to 90 other African-American applicants identified by the EEOC.

According to BMW's guidelines, no one with criminal background in past seven years could be hired. According to the Associated Press, after a new contractor came on board, anyone with criminal record from any year was dismissed as a new round of background checks was ordered. A total of 88 workers were fired out of which 70 were black and had worked for the company for more than 10 years. The contractor used to staff for BMW warehouse.

BMW is a member of the Customs Trade Partnership Against Terrorism. According Green Ville Online, the member ship norms require all members need to run a criminal background checks for its employees. It also has to keep a criminal background check for its vendor employees, temporary agencies as well as contractors who have access to the plant site.

Now the company has revised its criminal background check policy "to ensure the safety and well-being of all who work at the BMW plant site," reported USA Today.